Kobe Bryant Talked Family And Elevating Female Athletes In Last Interview

Lakers legend Kobe Bryant was a wise man, and the world will always remember his great advice and stories. He was a man who really loved his family. In his October interview for the Los Angeles Times, Kobe talked about his family and the support female athletes deserve.

If by any chance you haven’t noticed, Kobe didn’t attend many Lakers home games. He wanted to spend more time with his wife and kids.

His family was everything

“I have gone through 20 years of the majority of my career with my kids Natalia and Gianna without being able to have that consistently,” Bryant said.

“So for me to make a trip up to the Staples Center, that means I’m missing the opportunity to spend another night with my kids, and I know how fast it goes. Natalia is 16 and Gianna is 13. So that time came and went and so I want to make sure that the days I’m away from them, are days that I absolutely have to. I’d rather just be hanging with them.”

LA Times columnist Arash Markazi drove two hours to get a 17-minute interview with the Black Mamba. According to him, this was one of the best decisions he has ever made in his life.

Kobe had a special relationship with his daughter Gianna. He coached her basketball team. He had a lot of time to realize that genetics is a powerful thing.

“It’s a trip to see her move and the expressions that she makes,” Bryant said. “It’s a trip, you know, the genetics. Genetics is a real thing, man.”

“What I love about Gigi is her curiosity about the game … Even in a very heated situation in a game where it’s very competitive and back and forth, she can detach herself and come over and ask a very specific question, which is not common. All of our girls can do that, but the part that I think is most exciting is that it’s her curiosity and her ability to think critically in tight situations, (that’s) pretty damn cool.”

Kobe Bryant was a family man who supported female athletes

Bryant was all-in when it comes to supporting female athletes. He did his best to elevate female athletes and considered himself a supporter of “the women’s game.” His daughters do play sports. Natalia plays volleyball and Gianna was a basketball player. Seeing his girls compete helped him make a decision. He had to do something to elevate female athletes.

“Just trying to enhance the women’s game, not just in basketball but in volleyball and other sports, is extremely important. Anything I can do to help, I’m gonna do.”

Bryant coached his team at the Mamba Sports Academy. It was always a team effort.

When Markazi asked him about his legacy and the role youth sports have in the world, Bryant gave a precise answer.

“Hopefully,” he said, “if we do it the right way, we’re known more for what we did after than what we did during. I think you can have a lasting impact. I mean winning championships, that’s great. Building families, that’s great. But when you can create stories and create moments and events and companies that can provide opportunities … and inspire kids and create situations where people can be better, I think that has a lasting impact, more so than winning championships does.”

Bryant, Giana, and seven others lost their lives in Calabasas, Calif. There were no survivors, and investigations will finish the official report in a year.

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